The negotiations, which include discussions on relocation expenses for as many as 500 call-center employees, began Monday, said Jack Dinsdale, national vice president of the Transportation Communications Union, which represents the Amtrak reservation staffers.

Also, union negotiators are trying to stretch the time frame so workers do not have to make a decision about moving to Amtrak’s other call center in Philadelphia on very short notice. The railroad announced three weeks ago the Riverside facility would close Jan. 18.

“We’re not close to anything, and nothing’s certain,” Dinsdale said. “I am of the opinion that we have a long way to go.”

Last week, following a mass meeting of employees at a Riverside banquet hall, Dinsdale said an appropriate relocation allowance would be $12,000. Late Tuesday afternoon, he said Amtrak has proposed offering its workers half that amount. In 2003, when Amtrak closed a call center in Chicago, workers received a $7,500 allowance to move to Riverside.

Olivia Irvin, an Amtrak spokesperson, declined to comment on the negotiations, saying they were in early stages.

Dinsdale said the union is still seeking support from elected officials, especially in California, to put pressure on Amtrak and possibly alter its decision or the timetable. Amtrak operates three rail corridors in the state, including the line that connects San Diego and Santa Barbara. The state funds these routes, which are profitable for Amtrak, and the union is looking for leverage from this.

“The main thing is, we’re trying to give our people enough time,” Dinsdale said. “When they closed the Chicago office they gave those people six months.”

Dinsdale also criticized Amtrak management for what he considers an effort to divide the union’s membership and diminish support for union leaders. He said Amtrak emailed workers, pointing out the union waited two weeks before holding last Thursday’s membership meeting.

He said that, while union leaders did focus on marshaling political support during that period, they also regularly contacted the rank-and-file, and Dinsdale added there is a paper trail to prove that.

Irvin, the Amtrak representative, declined to comment on this allegation.

The union plans a 10 a.m. rally Dec. 12 at City Hall in downtown Riverside.